Echo or Husky, 50ish cc . 24" bar

Looking to get a smallish saw for commercial firewood. Pole size spruce mostly . Lots !!!! Of limbing !
Rarely bucking over 12" diameter .
I've got plenty of bigger saws for bigger wood .
I'm not very familiar with the Echos.
Knee jerk is a 550XPG.
But if I can save a couple hundred for the same proformance and longevity, why not .
Any Echo runners around here ??

 

I'm not confident that my 501 would spin a 24 very well, but hey I've never tried it either. I also have a gen 1 550xp. I tried a 20"x3/8 outfit on it and found it not to be for me. Do really like the 501, but only run 16 & 18. It has a bit more torque than the 550 according to my hand dynos. T Jeff has a ported 4910 which is same engine, maybe he'd know if it would like a 24 setup or not.

 

Can you even get a 24" .325 bar? The echo is .325. Not sure about the Husqvarna.

 

I think there are a few floating around…definitely not common.

 

Don’t really follow the logic of the need for a 24” B&C for bucking mostly 12” material? Is it reach for limbing downed trees?

 

That's my guess. The whole bbr stand up n buck deal.

 

I've seen a k095, 24" x .050 but it was a hard nose bar. Oregon

 

Less bending over...

 

I yi yi .
Perhaps I should re introduce myself .
All Alaska Hand . Primarily coastal and mostly Southeast Alaska .

Retired professional timber faller . Primarily tower loggin .
Pre Commercial Tree thinner.
Arborist , Ect.
Member of the West Coast Long Bar Association.
With the rapid super. 325 chain that Stihl has . I might swap a tip on a same guage bar.
Or swap sprockets on the saw .
And, I'll mainly be cutting spruce . But I'll be doing lots of limbing .
Being a long bar guy. I do most of my cutting with the tip. 24" bar just means I don't have to bend over as far .

 

Thank you !
The big draw to the 550 is the heated handle bar. If the 501 has more torque . A better price and as much longevity.
Sides, I don't remember Ever owning an Echo.

 

The echo may not be as fancy or powerful as the 550 but I’d be willing to bet it outlasts it for longevity. The 5 series husky seems a step down from the 3 series in lasting just from what I’ve seen personally and heard from long time husky using locals. Tree service guys and loggers, one guy quit buying 550’s and went to all 261’s because he was only getting 1-1 1/2 years out of the 550’s before the bearings gave out sometimes less.

 

Echos benefit greatly from a muffler mod and getting the limiters off the carburetor so they can be tuned properly. They have an excellent reputation of being very reliable.

 

I have a 20” on my 261 and I don’t think I would like a 24” on it. Run a 24 on the 362 and 462, of the 3 mentioned in our sized wood the 462 would be the ticket. Do you still have that 461 that Mr Carr ported? How does that work? I had a MMWS ported 461, a little heavier that the 462. I’m with you on the heated handle. I had hustihl port a 592 XPG and I love that saw. I use it at the log pile to buck. On the list is a 572 XPG ported .

 

None of the 50cc saws are probably designed for a 24” but probably would do ok in spruce/ other softer conifers when only limbing and 10-12” trunks.

 

My experience with echo is that they oil great. Much better than my Stihls.
Small saw with a long bar oiling is usually the main issue.

 

CTF and I live in Alaska and spruce is our main tree. I ran a 24” on my old ported 261, made it nose heavy even with a lightweight bar. My current 261 is non ported. I don’t like the nose rake and not sure I would like the power to bar length.

 

How much do we do to our saws that they are not designed for?

 

I concur. They can be ran on the lower side of the pump adjustment with a bar in the manufacturers recommended length.

 

I think a 550 mark 2 with a 24" cannon supermini with a .325 tip in 50 gauge and rsp chain would be ideal for what you are looking for, expensive, but ideal.

 

Mrxlh

What size bar are you running on your ported 346?